Method and system for user based network analysis and planning

ABSTRACT

A system and method are provided for converting individual technical metrics into a single relevant metric understood and accepted by both technical and non-technical components of a business venture. An example system and/or method includes measuring current technical utilizations and capacities, translating those into a supportable users metric, forecasting future utilization levels, translating those into future network component and/or hardware requirements, and expanding/scaling technical capacity based on those values and the predetermined capacity levels of additional components and/or hardware.

BACKGROUND

Many service providers, such as wireless telecommunications carriers,VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) carriers, long distance carriers,LECs (local exchange carriers), cable television providers, satellitetelevision and/or radio providers, etc., all share common needs toanalyze network capacity and plan for network evolution based, in part,on user or subscriber usage and growth. For instance, wirelesstelecommunications carriers and satellite telecommunications carriersare experiencing substantial user growth, and therefore need toimplement reliable and efficient analytical methodologies to anticipateand plan for network evolution. Because networks are composed ofmultiple nodes with various functionalities, all of which impact userexperience, service providers need to analyze such network nodes toensure that each node has capacity to meet evolving user use and growth.Thus, there exists a need for a robust, reliable, efficient analyticalmethod and system to analyze node capacities in order to inform networkplanning and evolution.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention involve a user based dimensioninganalysis involving calculation of network node capacity in terms of a“supportable users” metric. For example, a method measures currentutilization levels for one or a plurality of network nodes againstthen-current number of users utilizing a service involving the node(s),and calculating a maximum number of supportable users of such node(s).The method forecasts or predicts at least one future supportable userslevel that can be sustained by the network. The method expands thenetwork resource based at least in part on the ratio of the future userforecast and the current maximum supportable user capacity.

In an embodiment, a method of supportable user based dimensioninginvolves measuring a current user level and measuring respective currentutilization levels for a plurality of constraints. The plurality ofconstraints represent a network resource service. In a furtherembodiment, the method involves determining respective maximumutilization levels for the plurality of constraints. A calculation of acurrent maximum supportable users capacity is conducted based at leastin part on the current user level, the current utilization levels of theplurality of constraints, and/or the maximum utilization levels of theplurality of constraints.

In an embodiment, the current utilization levels include memoryutilization, signaling links capacity utilization, processorutilization, transactions per second and/or any other constraint.

In an embodiment, the signaling link utilization may employ the SS7(Signaling System #7), SIGTRAN (Signaling Transport), SCTP (StreamControl Transmission Protocol), IP (Internet Protocol), or otherprotocols.

In an embodiment, the user is a wireless communication customer, and thenetwork resource service is a wireless communication service provider.

In an embodiment, expanding the network resource includes adding sets ofhardware, where each set has a user capacity, or a number of supportableusers, associated with it representing an amount of maximum supportableusers that are expected to increase after the set has been added to thenetwork resource, and where the set configuration and associated numberof supportable users is predetermined.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a system and method of userbased dimensioning is provided. An embodiment includes a plurality ofcomponents organized in a network of nodes, where the plurality isconfigured to provide a network resource service. An embodiment includesa current supportable users level, and each component of the embodimentmay include a current utilization level. An embodiment allows for acurrent maximum user capacity based at least in part on the currentsupportable users level and the current utilization levels of theplurality of components. An embodiment is configured to expand based atleast in part on a ratio of a future user forecast and the currentmaximum user capacity. These embodiments can be used in variouscombinations with and/or without each other.

In an embodiment, current utilization levels include, but are notnecessary limited to, memory utilization, signaling links capacityutilization, and/or processor utilization.

In an embodiment, signaling link utilization may involve the SS7,SIGTRAN, SCTP, IP, or other protocols.

In an embodiment, the user is a wireless communication customer, and thenetwork resource service is one or more wireless communication serviceproviders.

In an embodiment, the expandable network resource may include beingconfigured to add sets of hardware, where each set has supportable usersassociated with it representing an amount the maximum supportable usersare expected to increase after the set has been added to the networkresource, and where the set configuration and associated number of usersis predetermined.

An example system of user based dimensioning includes a network resourceservice or the like. The network resource service having a plurality ofconstraints and/or components. In the system, a measurement of a currentuser level is taken. And, a measurement of a respective currentutilization level for each constraint and/or component of the pluralityof constraints is taken. In the system, a determination of a respectivemaximum utilization level for each constraint and/or component of theplurality of constraints is made. In the system, a current maximumsupportable users capacity is based on the current user level, therespective current utilization levels of each constraint and/orcomponent of the plurality of constraints and/or component, and therespective maximum utilization levels of each constraint and/orcomponent of the plurality of constraints and/or components.

An example embodiment of the present invention provides acomputer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions configured tobe executed by a processor, the instructions which, when executed by theprocessor, cause the performance of one or more of the example methodsdescribed herein. An example method calculates a current user level. Anexample method measures the current utilization levels for a pluralityof components and/or constraints, where the plurality of componentsand/or constraints represent a network resource service. An examplemethod calculates current maximum supportable users, based at least inpart on the current user level, the current utilization levels of theplurality of components and/or constraints, and/or maximum capacity ofthe components. An example method forecasts and/or predicts at least onefuture supportable users level. An example method expands the networkresource based at least in part on the ratio of the future user forecastand the current maximum supportable users capacity for multipleconstraints and/or components. These methods described may be used incombination with and/or without each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example method according to an example embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates another example method according to an exampleembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example node system according to an exampleembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example network system according to an exampleembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Services companies (e.g., a cellular communications company, a VoIPcarrier, a long distance carrier, an LEC, a cable television provider, asatellite television provider, a satellite radio provider) generally arecomposed of two broad groups with considerable operational overlapand/or interaction. For example, one group may deal primarily withnon-technical business issues, such as sales, accounting, marketing,management, business development, and other nontechnical functions. Theother group may deal with technical issues and be responsible forplanning, purchasing, installing, maintaining, engineering,administering, and upgrading the technical infrastructure required toprovide the services being provided by the company to its customers.There are, of course, some groups with overlap between these two generalareas. For example, a product development group or an engineering groupmay include technical people tasked to address technical issuespertaining to the company's network operations, as well as nontechnicalpeople tasked to address, for instance, financial planning involving thenetwork. Unfortunately, each group will approach common or shared issueswith analytical tools unique to their disciplines, thereby creatinginefficiencies based on incompatible analytical methodologies. Forreasons of simplicity, monetary and analytical efficiency, and clarityacross such groups and the corporate structure as a whole, a company mayfind it beneficial to implement a unified analytical methodincorporating a single metric for use in analyzing network planning.Example embodiments of the present invention include systems and methodsfor unifying the great variety of technical metrics under one metricthat can be easily understood by various groups across the company.

The following description provides specific details for a thoroughunderstanding of, and enabling description for, various embodiments ofthe method and system. One skilled in the art will understand that themethod(s) and system(s) may be practiced without many of these details.In some instances, well-known structures and functions have not beenshown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring thedescription of the embodiments of the method and system. It is intendedthat the terminology used in the description presented below beinterpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is beingused in conjunction with a detailed description of certain embodimentsof the technology. Although certain terms may be emphasized below, anyterminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will beovertly and specifically defined as such in this Detailed Descriptionsection.

Some of the example embodiments use a cellular telecommunicationscompany to illustrate some benefits and details of the presentinvention. It will be appreciated that the present invention may bepracticed in connection with any network operation, and is not limitedto cellular telecommunications networks. A single user metric isbelieved to be a useful, and to-be, universally acceptable analyticalmetric because most, if not all, groups within a company must factoruser experience in planning. A sales department, for instance, may use auser metric to forecast and/or quantify revenue growth or customerturnover. A business development department may ration capital, seek newpartnerships, and/or explore new business lines, all based in terms ofusers. A marketing department and a product development department mayuse user demographic data to analyze prospective services, when suchservices should be launched, and upon whom such services should focus.Though variations and additional details may be included, the centralmetric used by the business oriented departments may likely be the totalnumber of users.

For the more technical departments, forecasts, projections and networkdimensioning can be based on more technical metrics. Such technicalmetrics may, in a cellular telecommunications network, traditionallyinclude busy hour call attempts (BHCA), transactions per second (TPS),messages per second (MPS), megabytes used (e.g., memory requirements),octets transmitted/received (e.g., signaling requirements), percent CPU(central processing unit) utilization, and many other metrics. Further,each network service (e.g., voice service, data service, multimediaservice, etc.) or network node (e.g., call switching, networkmaintenance/monitoring, voicemail, etc.) may traditionally involvetotally or partially different metrics in terms of the hardware andsoftware required to facilitate the specific service or element. Whilethese various traditional technical metrics can be highly relevant tooverall system performance and capacity, they are generally intelligibleonly to those who are trained in a corresponding discipline, and likelywill not be immediately understandable to those people on the businessside of the company who are trained in other disciplines. Thus, someembodiments of the present invention provide systems and/or methods forcapturing the various technical metrics into the single metric ofsupportable users.

A network may include many different platforms with multiple nodes, buteach platform may share at least the following three elements: memoryusage, CPU usage, and signaling link usage. Formulas, based on theseand/or other performance constraints and/or relationships are created toexpress everything in terms of supportable users. Example embodimentsdetermine, for example, the number of bytes of memory used by a user,the percentage of CPU throughput used by a user, and the number ofmessages (e.g., generated SS7 signals) per user. In a furtherembodiment, this data then in turn is applied to various network nodeconfigurations, which depends on component selection (e.g., server A vs.server B), component aggregation (e.g., two A servers and a B server vs.three A servers), and positioning of network nodes (e.g., the networktopology). As a result of this application, each element, node, orpackage of elements may be expressed in the single metric of supportableusers.

An example of a network component in a GSM (Global System for Mobilecommunications) cellular telecommunications network, is a home locationregistrar/authentication center (HLR/AUC). An HLR/AUC may be responsiblefor maintaining a list of the home location and/or current location ofwireless telecommunication handsets (i.e., users) on the network. In afurther embodiment, the HLR/AUC is responsible for ensuring each userattempting to use network resources is authorized. FIG. 1 illustrateshow this node (HLR/AUC) can be analyzed and utilized in the context ofan embodiment of the present invention. At 110, the example methodcollects the total number of active users currently associated with aspecific platform (e.g., 30,000). At 120, the example method collectsthe current utilization (e.g., 50%) for the platform of a networkelement, or the relevant network platform, (e.g., memory usage). At 125,the method then returns to collect the current usage for any otherconstraint that makes up the platform. For example, the method maycollect data showing that there are currently 30,000 users utilizing aplatform, memory is 50% utilized, CPU is 25% utilized, and signalinglinks (e.g., SS7) are 48% utilized. At 130, the maximum supportableusers metric is calculated (e.g., 60,000). At 60,000 users, the memoryutilization may cap out at 100%. Therefore, regarding the constraints ofthis network element, the network has a supportable users metric of60,000. However, that does not necessarily imply that only the highestpercent utilization of the several parts is the only relevant number. At60,000 users, the CPU may be at 50% utilization and signaling may be at96% utilization. These utilization numbers are, however, only for theone HLR/AUC feature. The HLR/AUC can be coupled with other elements thatare very CPU intensive but do not use much memory or signaling capacity.

Further calculations may be needed for adequate user forecasting andnetwork growth. At 135, the example method calculates a per node averagesupportable users metric. For example, 30,000 users may cause thenetwork memory to have a 50% utilization, and there may currently be 30nodes in the network. A node may be, for example, a kind of server witha specific configuration or a set of servers with a specificconfiguration. Thus, there may be several different kinds of nodes, andeach kind or type of node may need to have a per node supportable userscapacity calculated to achieve the most advantageous and/or efficientresults. Assuming all 30 nodes are the same, and the network had a60,000 supportable users capacity, then each node may have a 2,000average supportable users capacity according to the example embodiment.At 140, the example method forecasts future user levels (for instance, asales forecast). In a further or alternative embodiment, the examplemethod imports the forecast from another source. Then at 150, theexample method calculates what node increases will be required toaccommodate the growing user forecast.

As the example method of FIG. 1 illustrates, all network dimensioning(e.g., planning) can be expressed, according to the present invention,in terms of forecasted user levels and maximum supportable userscapacity based on a most limiting constraint. As new equipment is usedand/or new equipment configurations adopted, the underlying formulas canbe adjusted or expanded, and after those adjustments are made, alldimensioning can be expressed in terms of supportable users. This allowsfor faster, clearer, and far more agile network analysis and planning.Repackaging the capacity metrics into individual node's supportableusers capacity and overall network supportable users capacity not onlyclarifies and streamlines signaling (e.g., SS7), memory, license, andCPU requirements, but physical requirements can be made more clear andmore efficient, such as number of racks or shelves, amperage or powerconsumption, and square meters or floor space. Once the central metrichas been established, the business units may propose changes designed toincrease users by a certain number. In previous systems/methods, thetechnical units would have to go through a complicated, time-consuming,and expensive nonautomated review of utilization levels and technicalcapacity to determine hardware increases necessary to handle theincrease. In embodiments of the present invention, network utilizationcan be expressed in terms of supportable users, and network nodes can beorganized under predetermined amounts of additional supportable users,Further, the embodiments of the present invention can be automated. Thiscan allow for extremely agile network planning, understood acrosscompany departments.

FIG. 2 illustrates another example embodiment of the present invention.First, the technical group (e.g., Platform Systems Engineering Teams)210 decide on or recommend utilization thresholds and capacities (e.g.,at 215). For example, the engineering teams may acquire the technicalspecifications for different pieces of hardware and software, each ofwhich may have a different level of technical resources. The engineeringteams may find that utilizations lower than 100% cause greater overallsystem efficiency and recommend an appropriate utilization threshold. At220, these capacity constraints and utilization thresholds are expressedas total supportable users. At 230, the business (e.g., non-technical)teams provide historical data about users (e.g., at 235). At 240, thishistorical data help provides user/platform demand forecast trends. Inaddition to the utilization thresholds and capacities outlined in 215,the engineering teams may also provide rule sets and modelspecifications for new or prospective equipment (e.g., at 255). This canbe for any number of things, including changes to the legacy systems,additions to the legacy systems, or new model systems to augment,replace, or supplement the legacy systems. These specifications can thenbe used to determine the purchasing requirements for the user baseddimensioning at 260. At 270, the individual network node requirementsare determined based on the user based model just assembled, which mayresult in 275, a platform budget designed to meet the user basedforecasting predictions. Once the user based dimensioning results areagreed upon (e.g., at 280), the regional planning teams can plan floorspace and other physical infrastructure requirements at 285 for theapproved additions.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example node according to example embodiments ofthe present invention. Node 310 includes three components 311, 312, and313. These components can be servers (e.g., a rack of blade servers)that are jointly responsible for the processing functions of the networknode 310, or they can each have a dedicated set of tasks partitioned orpartially partitioned from the other tasks on the other servers. Theremay be more or fewer than three components to each node, and thecomponents themselves may be made of individual entities. Each componentcan have a current utilization monitor, e.g., 311 a, 312 a, and 313 a.The node can also have a user level monitor 320. The utilizationmonitors and user level monitor interface with a component 350configured to calculate a maximum supportable users capacity level basedon the data from the other monitors.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example network according to example embodimentsof the present invention. For example, network 400 is made up for fournodes, 410, 420, 430, and 440. Each of these nodes can be like the nodeillustrated in FIG. 3 without the monitor components shown. If, forexample, the maximum supportable users capacity level component 350determined that the maximum number of users that a node could facilitatewas 10,000, then, according to an embodiment of the present invention,network 400 could currently support 40,000 users. Connected to thenetwork 400 can be a user forecaster component 490. This forecastercomponent 490 receives, for example, historical user data 495. This datamay come from within network 400 or may come from an outside source. Inan embodiment, the forecaster may use other pieces of data (e.g., thecomponent utilization constraints) in determining estimated future userlevels. In an embodiment, when the forecaster component indicates thatthe level of users will exceed the maximum user capacity, the network(or network administrators) add a preconfigured network node 450, whichhas a predetermined supportable users capacity associated with it. Newnode 450 may be the same or different than any of nodes 410, 420, 430,or 440. Additionally, the supportable users associated with node 450 maybe determined based on historical data of identical or similar nodesalready in operation. In a further or alternative embodiment, thesupportable users of new node 450 may be determined by the factoryspecifications of each of the components that make up node 450.

It will be appreciated that all of the disclosed methods and proceduresdescribed herein can be implemented using one or more computer programsor components. These components may be provided as a series of computerinstructions on any conventional computer-readable medium, includingRAM, ROM, flash memory, magnetic or optical disks, optical memory, orother storage media. The instructions may be configured to be executedby a processor which, when executing the series of computerinstructions, performs or facilitates the performance of all or part ofthe disclosed methods and procedures.

It should be understood that there exist implementations of othervariations and modifications of the invention and its various aspects,as may be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Thescope of the invention is not limited by specific embodiments describedherein. Features and embodiments described above may be combined witheach other in various combination.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of supportable user based dimensioning,comprising: measuring a current user level; measuring respective currentutilization levels for a plurality of constraints, wherein the pluralityof constraints represent a network resource service; determiningrespective maximum utilization levels for the plurality of constraints;calculating with a processor a current maximum supportable userscapacity based at least in part on the current user level, the currentutilization levels of the plurality of constraints and the maximumutilization levels of the plurality of constraints; reporting acalculated current maximum supportable users capacity; calculating withthe processor an average supportable user capacity; forecasting at leastone future user level based at least in part of the calculated averagesupportable user capacity; and calculating with the processor a growinguser forecast and expanding the network resource service, based at leastin part on a ratio of the forecasted future user level and the currentmaximum supportable users capacity.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereincurrent utilization levels includes at least one of the followingconstraints: memory utilization, signal capacity utilization, andprocessor utilization.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein signaling linkutilization includes at least one of: Signaling System Number 7 (SS7),Signaling Transport (SIGTRAN), Stream Control Transmission Protocol(SCTP), and Internet Protocol (IP) protocols.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein a user is a wireless telecommunications customer, and whereinthe network resource service includes a wireless communication serviceprovider.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein expanding the networkresource service includes adding sets of hardware, wherein each set hasa supportable users metric associated with each respective set whichrepresents an amount the maximum supportable users capacity is expectedto increase after each respective set has been added to the networkresource service, and wherein the respective sets of hardwareconfiguration and associated number of users is predetermined.
 6. Asystem of user based dimensioning, comprising: a network resourceservice, the network resource service including a plurality ofconstraints; a measurement of a current user level; a measurement of arespective current utilization level for each constraint of theplurality of constraints; a determination of a respective maximumutilization level for each constraint of the plurality of constraints;and reporting a calculated current maximum supportable users capacity,wherein a current maximum supportable users capacity is based on thecurrent user level, the respective current utilization levels of eachconstraint of the plurality of constraints and the respective maximumutilization levels of each constraint of the plurality of constraints;wherein an average supportable user capacity is calculated; wherein atleast one future user level based at least in part of the calculatedaverage supportable user capacity is forecasted; and wherein the networkresource service a growing user forecast is calculated and is expandablebased at least in part on a ratio of a future user forecast and thecurrent maximum supportable users capacity.
 7. The system of claim 6,wherein current utilization levels includes at least one of thefollowing components: memory utilization, signaling link capacityutilization, and processor utilization.
 8. The system of claim 7,wherein signaling link utilization includes at least one of: SignalingSystem Number 7 (SS7), Signaling Transport (SIGTRAN), Stream ControlTransmission Protocol (SCTP), and Internet Protocol (IP) protocols. 9.The system of claim 6, wherein the user includes a wirelesstelecommunications customer, and wherein the network resource serviceincludes a wireless communication service provider.
 10. The system ofclaim 6, wherein the network resource service is expandable by adding atleast one set of hardware, wherein each set has an associated usercapacity which represents an amount the maximum supportable userscapacity is expected to increase after the respective set has been addedto the network resource, and wherein the respective set and associatednumber of users is predetermined.
 11. A non-transitory computer-readablestorage medium encoded with instructions configured to be executed by aprocessor, the instructions which, when executed by the processor, causethe performance of a method of user based dimensioning, comprising:measuring a current user level; measuring respective current utilizationlevels for a plurality of components, wherein the plurality ofcomponents represent a network resource service; determining respectivemaximum current utilization levels for a plurality of components;calculating a current maximum supportable users capacity based in parton the current user level, the current utilization levels of theplurality of components and maximum current utilization levels of theplurality of components; reporting a calculated current maximumsupportable users capacity; calculating an average supportable usercapacity; forecasting at least one future user level based at least inpart of the calculated average supportable user capacity; andcalculating with the processor a growing user forecast and expanding thenetwork resource based at least in part on a ratio of the future userlevel forecast and a current maximum supportable users capacity, thecurrent maximum supportable users capacity being based on the currentmaximum supportable users metric.
 12. The storage medium of claim 11,wherein the current utilization levels include at least one of thefollowing components: memory utilization, signal capacity utilization,and processor utilization.
 13. The storage medium of claim 12, whereinsignaling link utilization includes at least one of: Signaling SystemNumber 7 (SS7), Signaling Transport (SIGTRAN), Stream ControlTransmission Protocol (SCTP), and Internet Protocol (IP).
 14. Thestorage medium of claim 11, wherein the user is a wirelesstelecommunications customer, and wherein the network resource serviceincludes a wireless communication service provider.
 15. The storagemedium of claim 11, wherein expanding the network resource serviceincludes adding at least one set of hardware, wherein each respectiveset has a supportable users metric associated with each respective setwhich represents an amount the maximum supportable users capacity isexpected to increase after each respective set has been added to thenetwork resource service, and wherein a configuration of the respectivesets of hardware and the associated number of users is predetermined.16. A method of supportable user based dimensioning, comprising:measuring a current user level; measuring respective current utilizationlevels for a plurality of components wherein the plurality of componentsrepresent a network resource service; determining respective maximumutilization levels for a plurality of components; calculating using aprocessor a current maximum supportable users capacity based at least inpart on the current user level, the current utilization levels of theplurality of components, and the maximum utilization levels of theplurality of components; reporting a calculated current maximumsupportable users capacity; calculating with the processor an averagesupportable user capacity; forecasting at least one future user levelbased at least in part of the calculated average supportable usercapacity; and calculating with the processor a growing user forecast andexpanding the network resource service, based at least in part on aratio of the future user forecast and the current maximum supportableusers capacity, wherein the network resource service is expanded byadding at least one set of hardware, each respective set having anassociated supportable users metric which represents an amount that themaximum supportable users capacity is expected to increase after eachrespective set has been added to the network resource service.